OPP charged 573 drivers during holiday RIDE campaign

The annual Festive RIDE program saw more than 900 drivers taken off the road. Impaired-related charges were laid against 573 people — down slightly compared to the prior holiday season.

“Despite the high number of charges again this year, it is difficult to understand why people still choose to drink or use drugs, and then get behind the wheel to drive,” OPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair said in a statement.

The campaign, running Nov. 23 to Jan. 2, also yielded more than 350 licence suspensions following a roadside warning.

Blair called the statistics “alarming,” noting police “intend to keep the pressure on drivers who refuse to consider an alternative way to get to their destination.”

Peel Police have not yet released numbers for their Festive RIDE.

Overall, OPP laid more than 5,000 alcohol and drug impaired charges in 2015.